Mont Fort Sunrise is one of those 'accidentally cultured' travel experiences that my sense of adventure seems to attract! I have to admit, I was totally unaware that Mont Fort existed. But, unable to resist a sunrise photoshoot at 3328 m, I recently found myself heading skyward towards this magnificent destination. Mont Fort Sunrise Mont... Continue Reading →
Swiss Via Francigena: On the Road with Sigeric in Switzerland
The Via Francigena is a pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome. It is based on a journey made by Archbishop Sigeric in 990 AD when he went to Rome to receive his Pallium from the Pope. On his return journey he wrote a diary recording the 79 places where he rested. Today, these places form... Continue Reading →
Carol: The Accidental Pilgrim
The Via Francigena Carol had always wondered what it would be like to be a pilgrim walking the ancient medieval Via Francigena pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome. So, this is a story about how she accidentally became a pilgrim when she decided to visit Romainmôtier Abbey in Switzerland. But, her primary motive for the... Continue Reading →
Three Hectic Days in England
England in only three days was a very enjoyable challenge! But given my love of manor houses, palaces, castles, cathedrals and fine dining we managed it quite well. I do hope to inspire the reader to travel in our footsteps! Arrival in England The flight from Sydney to London is arduous, to put it... Continue Reading →
Turin in a day of history and culture!
Turin is a city of marvels! In just one day, we visited ancient Egypt and Rome, the glittering gold of Cathedrals and Palaces. Also, the fashions and flavours of Via Roma! We hired a car at Turin airport and drove across the city to the luxurious Turin Palace Hotel for a two night visit. Trip... Continue Reading →
Searching for the Via Francigena
The Via Francigena Historic Background of the Via Francigena This year, our travels focussed on 'searching for' the Via Francigena, a medieval pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome. The pilgrimage is based on a diary written by Archbishop Sigeric when he travelled to Rome in 990 AD to receive his Pallium from the Pope. On... Continue Reading →
Let’s Have Lunch in Aosta, Italy!
'Let's have lunch in Aosta, Italy!' We were a bit surprised when our son-in-law, Gareth, made this suggestion at 11 am one chilly morning in November. 'That's a long way to go for lunch!', we exclaimed. 'It's only a one hour drive away, plenty of time!', said Gareth. Now this is a classic example of... Continue Reading →